The meeting focused on the evidence base for the revision of the updated “Guide to public health measures to reduce the impact of influenza pandemics in Europe”, with a specific emphasis on non-pharmaceutical countermeasures for pandemic flu.
Influenza pandemics, whether mild, moderate or severe, affect a large proportion of the population and require a multisectoral response over several months or even years. For this reason, countries develop plans describing their strategies for responding to a pandemic supported by operational plans at national and subnational levels.
The key objective of this meeting was to verify the rationale and objectives of molecular typing for surveillance of hepatitis E virus (HEV) through the hepatitis E network (HEVnet). The workshop reviewed HEVnet as a tool for molecular surveillance of HEV in Europe.
ECDC Scientific advice provides a summary of data and information (i.e., primary evidence) to support informed decisions and actions at the Union and country level in relation to public health measures to prevent and/or control communicable diseases.
ECDC’s annual surveillance reports provide a wealth of epidemiological data to support decision-making at the national level. They are mainly intended for public health professionals and policymakers involved in disease prevention and control programmes.
The ERLI-Net sub-network of reference laboratories of the European Influenza Surveillance Network carries out virological surveillance of human influenza in the EU/EEA through the EISN timely reporting mechanism and strengthening laboratory capacity for influenza virus detection, antiviral susceptibility testing and typing.
The main objectives of ERLI-Net are to carry out virological surveillance of human influenza and to ensure that data are shared through the European Influenza Surveillance Network (EISN) reporting mechanisms in a timely manner.
In 2013, a novel avian influenza A(H7N9) virus was detected in patients in China and cases are still being reported. No autochthonous cases have been reported outside China. Most cases are isolated, and sporadic zoonotic transmission from poultry to humans is the most likely explanation for the outbreak.
The third Joint Meeting of the ECDC’s Food- and Waterborne Disease and Zoonoses Network and of the EFSA’s Zoonoses Monitoring Data Network was organised around the theme "One health approach to collaborative response to foodborne disease outbreaks in EU/EEA".